Bright sunshine at Lahinch yesterday seemed to enhance the prospect of a long-awaited Irish revival in the Women's Home Internationals which start this morning. It is 11 years since Ireland last won the title and almost as long since they last defeated England.

Against that background, non-playing captain Claire Dowling was suitably realistic. "Given our resources, we will win only occasionally at this level," she said. "But there is no reason why this can't be one of those occasions."

As it happens, Ireland have won the title only three times and Dowling was involved in two of those - at Cruden Bay in 1980 and at Whittington Barracks in 1986. That was part of a glorious spell for the Irish women's game during which they also won the European title twice, while five British titles were captured at individual level.

Now it is hoped that a more professional approach will yield the desired harvest. Last year, the ILGU embarked on squad training in Portugal under the guidance of coach Howard Bennett and the process was repeated last April.

However, the side has continued to struggle, failing to make the top flight in the European Championship in Finland two months ago. But Dowling finds cause for optimism, particularly in the work she has done with the players over the last two seasons.

"We reached rock bottom at Wrexham in 1995 when England beat us 9-0 and we've got to ensure that this doesn't happen again," said the Irish skipper. "Looking over the four teams, I think it is a while since they were so evenly balanced. So, we must have a decent chance, if I make the right decisions and the players perform as they can."

England, winners of the championship for the last five years, include Elaine Ratcliffe and Karen Stupples who were members of the victorious British and Irish Curtis Cup team at Killarney last year. They also have the richly promising Kim Rostron who has won the Helen Holm tournament, the English Matchplay Championship and the St Rule Trophy, already this season.

Their current dominance can hardly be compared with the era starting in 1963 when they either won outright or shared the title over a period of 16 years. But they are clearly headed in that direction, unless the other three challengers can successfully close the gap.

Ireland have added new caps Elaine Dowdall and Paula Gorman to the sextet who competed in the European Championship. Dowdall was 20 last Monday while 24-year-old Gorman is selected as a member of the Malone club in Belfast, though she lives in Dublin where she is a member of Elm Park.

Scotland are captained for the first time by Alison Gemmill who also made her international playing debut in this country - at Portmarnock in 1981. And she was a member of the last Scottish team to win this title in 1991 at Aberdovey.

Elaine Farquharson-Black was another member of that victorious team, before turning professional. She has now become a reinstated amateur and is back in an international side in which the top player is Alison Rose. She will be recalled as the leading figure in last year's Curtis Cup triumph and has since won the British and Scottish titles.

Wales, meanwhile, have three US-based players in Louise Davis, Rebecca Morgan and the reigning national champion, Eleanor Pilgrim. But the side is most notable for the inclusion of the evergreen Vicki Thomas, who made her debut in this event back in 1971 and was a Curtis Cup representative on five occasions from 1982 to 1990.

The Lahinch greens, which were hollow-tined last month, are responding well to the weather and are expected to be in fine condition for the championship in which Ireland lead the way against Wales at 9.0 this morning.

Ireland v Wales: Foursomes - S Fanagan and H Kavanagh v L Davis and E Pilgrim; E Dowdall and E R Power v N Evans and R Morgan; A Coffey and M McGreevy v R Brewerton and H Lawson.

England v Scotland: Foursomes - E Ratcliffe and K Rostron v A Rose and H Monaghan; F Brown and K Stupples v L Nicholson and V Laing; R Hudson and K Smith v E Farquharson-Black and A Laing.

John Murray led the 22-strong Irish challenge in the opening round of the European Tour Pre-Qualifying 1 School yesterday in England.

Murray, playing at Five Lakes, shot a four-under-par 68, but still lies two shots behind overnight leader Charlie Callen who shot 66. In fact all three Irish competitors at Five Lakes shot under par rounds, with Gary Murphy7 on two-under 70 and East of Ireland champion Sean Quinlivan a shot further back.

The only other Irish competitor to shoot a score in the 60s was former European Tour member Stephen Hamill, who had a 69 in Wynward Hall.